Look for an announcement tomorrow. If it does not come tomorrow you can definately kiss Thursdays openers goodbye.

We all need to call and overwhelm Directv tomorrow PM. By mid-morning Pacific time until lunchtime Pacific time is when announcements will come, if they come at all.

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I think it would be better to call the PAC 12 - not DirecTV. If the PAC 12 is reasonable on the cost, DirecTV will carry the channels. It is all up to the PAC 12 and how much they are demanding from DirecTV.

I agree with the poster's comment at the bottom of the article though, as he/she makes a great point ....

"In another article by SBnation, it seems that DirecTV wants to put the pac 12 networks on a stand alone package for 14.99/month. This would mean 6 regional channels would cost more than the whole selection of premium sports network on their existing sports pack for 12.99/month. This does not seem like a good solution for either party (DirecTV or the PAC12). So if DirecTV were to do this then this really would drive people away from DirecTV. Am i right?"

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Possible they will start with one channel while they work out future details. That would be a fair compromise. In fact, for now, one channel with a part timer or two would cover the majority of the needs for the next three months or so. Then work from there.

Not at all sure why that article got you all doom and gloomy. It really said nothing much except something is going to happen soon.

I think it would be better to call the PAC 12 - not DirecTV. If the PAC 12 is reasonable on the cost, DirecTV will carry the channels. It is all up to the PAC 12 and how much they are demanding from DirecTV.

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Maybe. I don't think directv wants to dedicate seven channels to one conference. Very bad precedent.

Simple for me…. I’ve had it with DirecTV’s ‘updates’ and their DVRs. I know Comcast’s DVRs suck too but at least they are consistent and respond to the remote.

No Pac12 Networks and I’ll switch to Comcast for a couple of years – I’ll pay less, be able to watch the Utah games on the Pac12 Network and I won’t have to deal with DirecTV’s DVRs.

Maybe by the time my discounts on Comcast run out DirecTV will have hired some engineers that understand when you push a button on the remote the DVR should respond immediately – not 3, 5, 10, 40 seconds later. This is with my HR24s no less.

DirecTV DVRs+DirecTV prices+No Pac12=Comcast

Simple, Simple, Simple. No Pac12 network will be the nudge that pushes me over to Comcrap!

In the real world they need both, but what happens with the new Lakers RSNs is going to be very interesting to follow. I have a hunch that TWC has seen what Comcast has pulled off in Philadelphia and Oregon, and to a lesser extent what Cox had done in San Diego. In other words, they're starting these RSNs to drive customers to its cable service, where they stand to make far more money than they would by selling the channel for a few dollars per to others carriers.

They'll do this by forcing everyone to carry both the English and Spanish networks, and they're going to bundle them at a crazy-high price. Some mom and pop cable co. will bite on the price because they need the networks, and precedent will be set. None of the big competition will be able to afford the networks (DirecTV, Verizon, AT&T, etc.), so a lot of fans with no other options in the DMA will be locked out of the games for the next 20 years. I hope this isn't the case, but I've already seen this business model work in the markets I've mentioned.

Anyway, here's hoping we have some real news on the P12Nets tomorrow...

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They need the Lakers far more than they need the PAC 12. Reason is simple, you can still get the majority of games for pac12 teams through espn, fox.. With the Lakers they will only be on the new channel except for the what the 15 games they will be on a national channel. They will lose far more Lakers games than PAC 12 games vs what they had for previous years. Both have very large target markets.

Twc launched their Lakers net to avoid dealing with FOX and their rising costs, supposedly. As I have said before, twc isn't at all in the same situation as Comcast is in Philly and the north. They can not afford to not have Carriage of the channels by all their competitors,or they will lose to much money. Comcast doesn't have that concern,they already own the markets and can be subsides by their parent, which is now huge.

I think a deal will be done with both, and everyone will be happy, by say January. Cant say they will make everyone happy this week though, we really still haven't an idea of what's really going on, no matter how many bloggers and sports casters claim to hear things one way or the other.

My hunch is telling me that if we get "any news" tomorrow, it will be bad news. The news that confirms that they're much farther away from a deal than we think.

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I doubt it. We have yet to ever really hear any true news from anyone, other than they are negotiating and hopeful to reach an agreement, from anyone actually connected to any of this directly. The only news we will get tomorrow is either we have a deal, or nothing at all. That's all I expect till the is a deal.

Simple for me…. I’ve had it with DirecTV’s ‘updates’ and their DVRs. I know Comcast’s DVRs suck too but at least they are consistent and respond to the remote.

No Pac12 Networks and I’ll switch to Comcast for a couple of years – I’ll pay less, be able to watch the Utah games on the Pac12 Network and I won’t have to deal with DirecTV’s DVRs.

Maybe by the time my discounts on Comcast run out DirecTV will have hired some engineers that understand when you push a button on the remote the DVR should respond immediately – not 3, 5, 10, 40 seconds later. This is with my HR24s no less.

DirecTV DVRs+DirecTV prices+No Pac12=Comcast

Simple, Simple, Simple. No Pac12 network will be the nudge that pushes me over to Comcrap!

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I do not blame you or the others who say they will leave DirecTV because DirecTV does not have the PAC 12. The only reason I have DirecTV is to be able to watch all of the Kentucky (and some other SEC) games here in the heart of ACC country. If DirecTV did not carry ESPN or Fox Sports South, I would leave, too.

From the DirecTV perspective, though, it is more like this:

There are approximately 3,600,000 potential viewers who hae ties to the PAC 12. Of those, only about 1/3 or 1,200,000 even care about sports. Not all of those are DirecTV customers, anyway, and not all of those live in an area where a switch to Comcast or any other carrier that does have the PAC 12 networks is possible. Let's say that the number that actually leave DirecTV is 10% of the 1,200,000 who care about PAC 12 sports. If they pay, on average, $125 per month, DirecTV stands to lose $15,000,000.

If the PAC 12 is asking DirecTV to pay $0.90 per viewer, then the cost to DirecTV to carry the PAC 12 network is $18.000,000, and that is not counting the resources that would be required to put the channels up (and, therefore would not be available to DirecTV to offer some other chanels).

Thus, DirecTV will lose money either way, but unless the PAC 12 comes down in the price they expect DirecTV to pay, DirecTV will lose $3,000,000 less by not carrying the PAC 12 channels than they will if they carry the networks. In other words, DirecTV is not willing to spend in excess of $18,000,000 to prevent $15,000,000 in lost fees. No matter which way they go, DirecTV loses a lot of money on this deal.

fleckrj - I don’t doubt that the PAC12 is asking too much or that DirecTV will lose either way. I’m just saying this will be the ‘straw’ that breaks my back. I already pay too much for too little. This will just push me over the edge to switch to Comcast for their discounted service (while that lasts) and hopefully give DirecTV time to hire and engineering department.

I’d hate to be in DirecTV’s position but it is sports that make DirecTV standout. If not for sports I’d just use Netflix, Hulu etc for TV and save a $100 a month.

Here's the bad news that I knew we would get today.
For those expecting any hip-hip-horray official news release today about how this deal is done, then you can forget about it.

Pac 12 network, Gary Stevenson says deal is not close .....

"I wouldn't characterize it as close or imminent", Stevenson said.

There you have it.
You were expecting maybe today to be the day.
Nope. In fact, this is no real progress at all, and you can argue that this is closer to being a "setback" than "progress" to start this news week off already, based on that quote.

I don't think they are even close to signing off on this.
Both sides are playing their game, leaking out to the public information to help their cause in the negotiation. Which tells me, they're not as close as we initially thought toward making this deal. This could take weeks, and probably will, before this network sees the time of day on DirecTV ....